Improvement in harvester-pitmen



form B of the journal C.

,j UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

J. It. FINLEY, OF DELPHI, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN H-ARVESTER-PITM EN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 88,863, dated April 13, 1869.

Be it known that I, J. It. FINLEY, of Delphi, in the county of Carroll and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tightenin g and Securing the Keys of the JournaLBoXes of Pitmenv and in Pitmen Joints or Couplings for Harvesting- Machines and other purposes, and that the following` description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred. to, forms afull and exact specification of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my said improvement, by which my invention may be distinguished from others of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured by Letters Patent.

My invention relates to pitmen or connecting-rods for harvesting-machines, and my improvement to certain modifications in the details of the same, whereby the bearings ofthe journal-boxes are tightened about their respective journals by means of a gib provided with a pawl-spring and ratchet-cotter, and to a form of pitnian-joints or coupling, which is susceptible of being shipped and unshipped with the greatest ease, which is readily adjusted, and which dispenses with the use of a key.

In the accompanying plate of drawings, in which my invention is illustrated, and in which like letters represent like parts, Figure l is a perspective view of the journal-box. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the coupling of the pitman with the sickle-head. Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the journal-box. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the joint or coupling. Fig. 5 is a plug, grooved to receive the spline end of the pitman.

A is a strap, analogous to those in common use, inclosing` bearing-brasses of the ordinary I3 is the gib, to which is attached, by means of a tap-bolt, or other equivalent method, the p awl-spring E. F is a ratchet-cotter or key, provided with nicks or notches to receive the pawl of the spring E. H is the shank or head of a sicklebar, in which is cut the slot I to receive the cylindrical plug K at the end of the pitman, or a groove, M, may be cut in the said plug,

and the end of the pitman fitted therein, forming a spline, as seen in Fig. 2.

A quadrangular opening, N, is cut in the end of the pitman to enable the same to lit and revolve freely over the top of the shank of the sickle-head H.

The operation of the present invention is as follows: rIhe journal C having been secured between the bearing-brasses B, the gib D is passed through the slots P in the strap A, the shoulders of the same fitting over the strap in the usual manner. The ratchet-cotter F is then inserted through the slots in the strap A, behind the gib D, with a sufficient degree of force to tighten the bearing-brasses B firmly about the journal C. The said ratchet-cotter is held securely in position by means of the spring-pawl E attached to the gib D, as hereinbefore described, the pawl catching in the nicks or notches of the ratchet-cotter, and securing the same in any desirable position.

The journal-bok may be nnshipped or disconnected from the journal C by a slight pressure upon the lug of the pawl-spring E, which detaches the same from the necks of ratchet-cotter F, and enables the said cotter to be easily drawn out.

It is apparent that the disadvantages which result from the rapid wearing away of the bearing-brasses are entirely obviated by the use of present invention, and that gib and key are so secured that it is impossible for them to rattle out or become detached, as the pitman end L is coupled to the shank of the sickle-bar as follows: The cylindrical plug m having been inserted into the slot I of the shank of the sickle-head H in such a manner that the groove M shall assume a position coincidental with the opening S on the top of the said shank II, the end L of the pitman is inserted therein, and, having been thus inserted, may be made to describe the arc of semi-diameter about the axis-pl u gm, the opening N of the said end L passing freely over the top of the 'said shank.

Then it is desirable to unship or disconneet the pitman, it is merely necessary to revolve the same until it assumes a position at right angles with the sickle-bar, and draw it upward from the groove M through the opening S, thus entirely dispensing With keys and 2. The pitmen end L and axis-plug M, when other inconvenient devices heretofore in use. fitted together, as herein described, in com- Having thus described my invention,Isha11 bination with the sickle-head H, substantially State the modification iu the details of pitmen as described.

or connecting-rods which I desire to protect by Letters Patent, as follows, to wit: J. R. FIN LEY.

I claim- 1. The spring-pawl E, attached to the gib Witnesses: D, in combination with the ratchet-Cotter F, D. P. HELSER,

substantially as described. JOHN FARNEMAN. 

